Reformation
by LuciferDragon
Summary: The role of captain must pass on. A continuation of my Mass Effect series, to start up immediately after the Destroy ending. Sequel to Citadel Afterparty and Shore Leave. Third in series. Renegade/Renegon Jane Shepard.
1. Chapter 1

_The war is over. The Reapers have been defeated. Against all odds, and in the face of the greatest threat this galaxy has ever known, we survived._

It would be some time before that message would reach many of the ships that had retreated to their various assigned RV points. There just seemed to be a reason to try. Search dogs were let loose around the Earth to aid in finding survivors, anyone needing medical attention.

Special attention was made in London , on the ships that still hovered towards the citadel. The emergency shuttles were brought back online immediately by the engineers as they set to work on the main ships. In mere hours the shuttles were launched in an attempt to locate anyone in the rubble, alive, or otherwise.

 _It will take time, but we will rebuild everything that was destroyed._

There had to be that glimmer of hope as the search team carefully looked through the rubble, trying to look for any signs of life. It was much harder to do search and rescue in places like this, where only certain areas could safely be searched at a time. The surviving keepers had enabled artificial gravity and shields first before setting to work on repairs, as the galaxy had learned they were programmed to do.

After over two hours of searching, the team was about to trade shifts. As they were retracing their steps through the rubble, shifting rocks caught the attention of one soldier. He stopped as the rest of the team kept going. He cautiously approached the source of the noise, pistol drawn. He sidestepped around, peering through the dim light. In a brief reflection of light, he stopped and shouted for his squad.

The highly damaged N7 badge he saw was moving.

* * *

Garrus stood next to Joker as they looked out at the setting sun over Eden Prime. Both didn't have to say a word to each other. Everything had been taken down at once. Anything that relied on technology. Omnitools were inoperable. Traynor was still in the core with the others, trying to get the power operational again from scratch.

Both had no idea the status of the ones they loved.

"Wicked piloting," James said, breaking the tension between the two.

Joker only nodded.

"It's a cruel joke, if you think about it," Kaidan said approaching behind them.

Joker nodded again. "Yeah. Eden Prime. All started here. Someone's got a sick sense of humor."

Where everything started to go to Hell. Where the first Reaper Sovereign had slipped through and indoctrinated Saren. Where the hodgepodge of a crew worked together and took down the Reaper, only to have it swept under a massive rug.

Where everything she had worked her ass off, that they all had almost died for, was ignored until it was all too damn late. It had cost them so much. Garrus stood stock still, angry, heartbroken, unable to remember the creed sewn into his genetics. The sacrifice of one for the good of many…

He swallowed hard and kept this focus ahead.

"We'll be needed at the colony," Liara said. "They'll need to know we're alive, since comms are down." They all shifted towards the mainland, where the colony wasn't too far out of sight. "Garrus?"

"I know my way there. I'll catch up." He kept his attention to the water lapping against the shore in the distance.

There was a human thing he had learned his short time "dating" Shepard, as she had called it. In the nights she or he couldn't sleep from fears of the future, she taught him of hope. Most of her kind were religious in some way. Most other species laughed at them for the humans' inability to find something that worked, and even more humans didn't even believe in anything. She was one of those. However, she taught him something that did make sense.

 _"I am not putting that plate up."_

 _"Then keep it for memory. Just in case."_

 _With how things had been looking… plates had been made for everyone. Shepard kept them in her cabin out of sight, to keep at least one thing from her mind. Hers had not been excluded. His chest felt tighten as she approached him on the bed, holding out the plate. He took it, not knowing what it was at first. He ran his fingers over the raised letters of the plate, realization dawning on his face. "Please don't do this to me."_

 _She shifted her weight to the dip in his hips, bringing his focus from the plate to her. "If the worst happens, I want you to be the one to put it there. Promise me that, Vakarian."_

 _He dropped the plate and put his arms around her, head tilted so she could put hers to his crest. "I promise. Just don't make me do it."_

 _"Not if I can help it. I'm hoping with everything I have it doesn't come to that."_

"I hope it does too, Shepard." His spine finally relaxed against the breeze of the shore. "I know you were there that day. When Dad…" His fists clenched for a moment. "When Dad radioed in that he and Solana were pinned. I know you were there when the transmission cut. But you at least let me pretend I was alone." The sun fell lower in the distance. "It really will be an empty galaxy without you. Who else can I break stupid laws and traditions with?" He stepped back and turned to the mainland. "Spirits, don't take her too…"


	2. Chapter 2

A week had passed. All active engineers in the area had pooled together to reengage all of the imperative ships. Shuttles had been repaired and sent out to the relays in hopes of activating them again. They had been reactivated and studied for countless centuries combined. The resources had to be found first.

A solid week passed with no word from the other systems, aside from the transmission they had received from Hackett. It encouraged the crew to work with the residents of Eden Prime to find the necessary resources to get at least basic communications running again, if not a working Relay.

The felled Reapers that had collided with the planet's face proved useful in materials and salvageable tech. Only a few were willing to get close to the machines due to lingering fear and uncertainty if any of the creatures within were still alive. Many times, a Cannibal or a Ravager would be found upon excavation. Those who braved the Reaper salvage runs were either foolishly bold, or with nothing left to lose.

Kaidan holstered his pistol while Garrus replaced his rifle after the smoke cleared of one such run. The rest of their squad spread out to search for their haul of the day. "It needed to be done."

"I'm aware," Garrus replied, crossing his arms. "I'm just not comfortable with it."

"I wouldn't expect you to be. But no one else is more qualified."

"Doesn't mean I have to like it."

"Captain." A scout approached them, one not from their party. "Captain Vakarian, sir, you're needed back at the colony."

He bit back a retort to the title. "What for?"

"We were able to get enough resources to get the communications array of the relay back online. We got something. Traynor is attempting to decipher it."

"How does this involve me?"

"She was able to decrypt the source of the message. It was from London, sir."

Garrus looked to Kaidan, who nodded. "I can cover the team."

He returned the nod and shifted his attention to the scout. "Lead the way."

* * *

Garrus put his weapons into his locker in the cargo bay. He shut the door and almost jumped as James approached from behind the door. "What is it, Vega?"

"Is it true? What they're saying on deck about Lola?"

"I damn well hope so." He tapped his communicator. "Traynor, where are you on that decryption?"

"Almost got it, Captain."

He bit back a growl. "Acting Captain."

"Right, sorry. I'll have them ready by the time you get to the CIC."

"And you're sure the origin is London?

"Positive. The communications relay is indicating that the Sol System has repaired their own. They're a bit further along with their repairs due to the variety of species left in orbit pending the EMP blast." Her end of the comm went silent for only a moment. "But Garrus, if it's not—"

"Just decrypt the file by the time I arrive. Vakarian out." He tapped the comm off and met James's gaze.

"London, huh?"

"It could be nothing. Could be a residual message catching up to us with the revival of the relay."

"You're allowed to hope, Scars."

His mandibles twitched as he turned for the elevator doors. Hope was all he had left.

* * *

He stood beside Traynor as he exited the elevator.

"Ready when you are."

He nodded and watched her activate the message with baited breath.

 _"If anyone is out there listening to this message, please note that rescue teams have been fighting around the clock lo retrieve survivors. Efforts have been doubled in the area of the energy bridge that led to the Citadel as this was a large focus of casualties. Most notably the missing status of the revered Commander Shepard of the Alliance, best known for the battle on Torfan and the victory over Soverign."_

Garrus waited for a moment. "That's it?"

"I think so… wait, there's an additional file. It came in not long after that."

"Play it." He needed to know. Did the plate need to stay on the wall of the remembered? Spirits, would he be able to take it down? Split it in two and throw it in the airlock?

Or would he be doomed to see it every time he exited the elevator to retreat to the main battery at night?

 _"This is day four of the search. We've covered most of the areas, and reports are coming in of hospitals all over the world filling with survivors. Scavenger teams have been searching around the clock for survivors and tech to help us come back online."_

Garrus found himself gripping the bars separating him from the galaxy map.

 _"So far in our vicinity, fifteen have been rescued. Of those survivors, six are in critical condition. Among those is Commander Shepard."_

Garrus had never felt his heart sink as fast as it did at her name. He barely saw Traynor cover her mouth as the message continued.

 _"While doctors would not reveal the details, they supplied that given what was left of her, they would need access to cybergenics quickly. Engineers have been working around the clock to bring the surgical implants back online with little success."_

"There's another, Captain. Dated two days ago from Admiral Hackett."

He let it slide that time. He wasn't sure how much more he could take. He swallowed hard and remembered his military upbringing. He turned his heart to stone and bitterly accepted the role dumped upon his shoulders. He squared them to ease some tension that rose in his neck. "Play it."

 _"Official report. Former Cerberus operative Miranda Lawson, head of the Lazarus Project that brought Commander Shepard back from the dead, has arrived to aid in the surgery. We have allowed her to assist in the operation as she more than any of them would know how to keep the galaxy's savior alive. The cybernetics research has proved successful and the implants are once again safe to use."_

He almost couldn't believe what he was hearing.

Traynor laughed. "Hey, there now. That's the lead we need."

"Is there anything else?"

She shook her head. "Not at this time. Now that we're back online I'll see about transmitting a message of our own. I'll try to get as much information as possible. It will probably take a few hours."

He nodded. "Do it." He tilted his head. "Thank you for this, Samantha."

She smiled. "We'll find her, Garrus. Don't even think otherwise."

He hummed and stepped down from the galaxy map platform.

He initially planned to rejoin his squad in the felled reaper, but stopped the elevator two floors short. The doors opened on to the names decorating the wall. He stepped out of the lift, sights set on only one name in particular. With no hesitation, he took her plate off the wall. "Not yet." He ran his gloved thumb over the engraving. His heart arched with uncertainty. He was almost afraid to hope. "Just a little longer."


End file.
